Method of loading high explosive shells



Patented Mar. 1 19 32 saranr NEWTON G. BOYD, OF KENVIL, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB Tb HERCULES POWDER COM- PANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A. CORPORATION OF DELAWARE i METHOD on LOADING Ere-n ExrLosIvn SHELLS N Drawing. ()riginal application filed January 19,- 1928, Serial No. 248,013. Divided and' this application filed January 2, 1929. Serial No. 329,962.

My invention relates to an improved charge for high explosive shells and method of loading and, more particularly, relates to a charge which will be efficientin operation and may 5 be readily and efliciently loaded into a shell.

Heretofore high explosive shells have been charged with a composition known as amatol' ing it is essential that the amatol completely.

5 fill the load cavity of the shell in order to avoid so-called set-back which leads to premature explosion of the shell in the gun on firing.

The complete filling of the load cavity with amatol presents a diflicult problem, since the amatol mixture is solid and elfective loading of shells has only heretofore been accomplished through the use of hydraulic rammers, which act to pack the solid amatol into the cavity. Hence, the loading of shells according to present known methods and with the desirable explosive amatol involves substantial diificulty and thus requires expensive and substantially fixed machinery and is attended by substantial risk.

Now, in accordance with my invention I provide an explosive composition for shells which will have the effectiveness of amatol and, at the same time, lend itself to efiective charging, i. e. complete filling of the shell cavity, in a simple manner and without the necessity for any complicated apparatus.

In accordance with my invention, I provide an explosive composition which, because of its composition, may be readily brought to a fluid condition through the application of heat, enabling it to be run into the cavity of a shell and therein resolidified, with insurance that the cavity will be completely filled without the necessity for any tamping or ramming.

The composition in accordance with my invention includes in admixture the ingredients of amatol, ammonium nitrate and trini- 50 trotoluol, which in admixture alone cannot be rendered fluid by the application of heat be cause of the danger incident to the high temperaturenecessary to fuse the ammonium nitrate, to which is-added more. or less hydrated magnesium nitrate, the-presence of which I have discovered will, through the. presence of water of crystallization released on the application of heat at a relativelylow tempera. ture, so reduce the fusing temperature of the ammonium nitrate as to enable the mixture, to be rendered fluid at .a, temperature well within the limits of safety.

The amount'of hydrated magnesium nitrate included in the composition may be varied within relatively wide limits depending upon the; fusing point desired for the composition and without materialefiect upon the explosive powerof the composition as compared with amatol, it being only neces-' sary where any large amount of hydrated magnesium nitrate is used, resulting in the presence of effective quantities ofwater of crystallizatiomto increase the, proportion of trinitrotoluol over that usually found in amatol. I

A illustrative of. various specific compositions of hydrated magnesium nitrate and ammonium nitrate with the fusing temperatures thereof, reference is made to the-following table:

7 %Mg. (NO .6H O

%NH NO3 Fusing Temp. C.

' pletely fill the cavity thereof without the necessity for ramming. When the shell cavtrate and ammonium nitrate may be widely varied and that the trinitrotoluol content of the composition may be increased to compensate for any loss of explosive strength resultant from the presence of the water of crystallization of the hydrated magnesium nitrate.

In theloading of a shell in accordance with my invention the explosive 1 composition, for

80% of a mixture of Mg.(NO .6H O

and 90% NILNO is heatedto a temperature ofabout 121 C. The heating will cause the mixture of Mg.(NO .6I-I Oand NI-I NO3 to fuse or melt dueto the release of the water of crystallization from the hydrated magnesium nitrate'inwwhich themagn'esium nitrate and the ammonium nitrate will dissolve. The trinitrotoluol will be melted or fused at a temperature of 127 G. since its melting pointis 75 (1-80 G. j

When the composition has been lused or melted,'it' is run into the shell and will comity is filled the fused composition therein is allowed to cool and will solidify due tothe returnof thewater of crystallization to the magnesium' nitrate j with recrystallization (thereof and of the ammonium nitrate and solidification of the 'trinitrotoluol at a temperature below 75 C.80 C.

It will nowbe observed that'by virtue of my invention an explosive composition for shells is provided having the efliciency' of amatol and, atthe same time, the 'efiicient loading of shells may be accomplished with great simplicity and without the necessity for any particular apparatus, thus enabling the loading operation to be readily carried out atalmost any point on short notice.

It will be understood that my invention is not limited to the use of hydrated magnesium nitrate, since other hydrated salts, such as calcium nitrate, zinc nitrate, or any hydrated salt which will not decompose nitrate of ammonium and T. N. T., or equivalents therefor, when mixed, may be substituted therefor, and that likewise other explosive salts, as ammonium perchlorate, and the like may be substituted for ammonium nitrate and ammonium' picrate, or the like 'may be substituted for trinitro'toluol'. Further, it

will be understood that I do not intend that my invention shall be limited to compositions having 'the ingredients in any particular proportions as variation of the proportions ary 19,1928, Serial No. 248,013, of which this application is a division.

Having now fullydescribed my invention,

what I claim and desire to protect by Letters I lidification of theexplosive composition with-" example, one comprising T. N. T. and

the resulting fluid composition within the cavity of a shell and efiecting solidificationof the fluid composition within thefshellj' cavity by cooling. 3 y V 3. The method of loading high explosiveshells which includes heating an explosive composition containing about'20% trinitroi toluol and about 80% of a mixture comprising about 10% hydrated magnesium; nitrate trinitrotoluol and to release the water of crys talhzatlon from the hydrated magnesium nitrate todissolve the. ammonium nitrate,

and about ammonium'nitrate to melt the} running the resulting fiuid composition'witn' V in the cavity of a shell and eflecting solidification of the fluid composition within the shell, cavity by cooling. V

. 4. The method of loading high explosive shells which includes adding a hydrated salt" to an explosive composition containing an explosive salt and trinitro'toluo'l, heating the resultant composition to melt the high explosive and release the water of crystallization from thehydrated salt to dissolve'theexplosive salt, running the resulting fluid composition within'the cavity of a shell and effecting solidification of the explosive composition within the shellcavity by cooling.

' In testimony of whlch invention, I have hereunto set my hand, at Kenvih'N. -J,, on this 27th day of December, 1928. y

' NEWTON C. BOYD. 

